Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The feminist author Jill Johnston has died of a stroke at the age of 81.

The London-born writer lived with her wife and partner of 30 years Ingrid Nyeboe in northwestern Connecticut after their second marriage last year.

She died on September 18th.

Johnston was the author of the seminal 1974 book Lesbian Nation: The Feminist Solution and a dance critic for Village Voice.

She also published a number of autobiographical texts, essays and critiques.

She was a feminist leader in the 1960s and 1970s, spearheading the lesbian separatist movement.

Johnston told The Gay and Lesbian Review in 2006: “Once I understood the feminist doctrines, a lesbian separatist position seemed the commonsensical position, especially since, conveniently, I was an L-person.

“Women wanted to remove their support from men, the ‘enemy’ in a movement for reform, power and self-determination.”

The author was married to Richard Lanham for six years before their divorce in 1964. In 1993 she married Ms Nyeboe in Denmark and the couple married again in Connecticut in 2009.

Johnston is survived by her children Richard Lanham and Winifred Lanham, her wife and four grandchildren.

Ms Nyeboe wrote on the author's website: "She left us peacefully and with dignity; let's honour her immense legacy of love, kindness and amazing intelligence by celebrating her life each and every moment in our own daily activities."